My sister blog, A Little of Everything, is having a giveaway for an Etsy sellers homemade sock monkey that is so stinking cute. It honestly looks so good, you can't tell its homemade. MUST SEE! Ends Tuesday 3-1-11 at noon eastern.A Little of Everything

PLUS! I will be writing a BabyLegs review and sweepstakes in a few weeks, and coming sooner is a Belli pregnancy products review and giveaway. AND a Kelocote scar therapy review soon as well. Keep an eye out!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Community Coffee is a family owned Louisiana coffee company. They make all sorts of different varieties/flavors. I am an avid coffee drinker. A connoisseur if you will. Call me the coffee concierge. I drink coffee constantly.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Community Coffee is a coffee roasting and retail company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US. Founded in 1919, Community Coffee is the largest family-owned coffee company in America. Community Coffee uses 100% Arabica coffee beans. The company has developed partnerships with coffee growers in South America and Africa for community-building efforts and bird-friendly coffee growing methods. Community Coffee is distributed in eleven Southern states and shipped around the world via communitycoffee.com. It can be found in most restaurants, offices, grocery and convenience stores throughout Louisiana, most large grocery chains in Texas and Mississippi, and select stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and North and South Carolina. Community Coffee was the first coffee company to use vacuum sealed bags and percolators. Most of their bags are dark red/burgundy in color, while the "red bag" denotes the bright red bags in which the New Orleans Blend is packaged. New Orleans Blend, Community's coffee and chicory blend, is available in grocery stores and is brewed in the coffeehouses. However, the coffeehouses do not carry New Orleans Blend for purchase, but instead have a variety of all the blends, varietals, and flavored beans the company is currently producing, as well as bags of 100% chicory so that customers can create their own "New Orleans Blend." "

I love iced coffee and have grown quite fond of Dunkin Donuts. When I lived in Connecticut (Groton) there was a DD literally every few miles. Unfortunately (for me) my hometown in Birmingham has little to none. Where I live now.. I'd have to drive to Jacksonville (a good 45 minutes) just to get one! Even if there was one local.. I really cant afford to buy them all the time. Making your own is so much more price efficient.

I have even perfected making iced coffee, but I'll tell you about how to make the perfect iced coffee in a minute.

Community Coffee's Carnivale Cake coffee is a Mardi Gras inspired coffee. How Mardi Gras and coffee relate, is strange, but I will tell you. Mardi Gras people get so drunk and stay out all night. I can picture this as I am saying it too... wake up and say, I need fuel to keep going! LOL! Insert Carnivale Cake! *snickering at my little joke* No, I'm just being silly.

Mardi Gras is not ONLY celebrated in the US as we know it, but also has HUMONGOUS festivals in Belgium, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Italy & the Netherlands. Fat Tuesday from what I understand is about eating a last night of rich food before the ritual fasting of Lent. Mardi Gras celebrations have always included costumes, drinks, dancing, and parades.

If you are wanting to celebrate Fat Tuesday, you can definitely do it with this coffee! I couldn't stop drinking it. I had about 6 cups. I am hyper sensitive to caffeine .. so now I am wired!!! I made it in my Keurig my husband bought for me, by putting it in my "My K-Cup".

Let me tell you about the flavor they sent to me. Its a vanilla cinnamon flavor. It reminds me of a cinnamon bun. The smell is strong and fragrant, lingering for a long time. Its a rich and dark coffee, but not too rich. It was so delicious. I think I just found my new favorite coffee. Dunkin Donuts who? :)

They sent me a super cute gift set that included a bag of Carnviale Cake coffee and their really cute tumbler (pictured above) and it also had some festive mardi gras beads!

I make my iced coffee by making coffee 2 to 3x stronger than it should be made. That way when the ice melts in it, it is not watery. I usually add a Torani syrup and milk or half & half, or flavored creamer. Sometimes I just use caramel syrup.

ALSO.. you can "like" their facebook fan page HERE psstt... right now they are offering a 2$ off coupon on the facebook page!

Unfortunately there is no giveaway this time... but maybe next time!

Get yourself (or someone special) some of this addictive coffee by clicking Carnivale Cake (ground coffee) here. They sell ground and whole bean, and feel free to browse their other coffee varieties! PS... They also sell King Cake!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

I want everyone that reads to please answer so I can gather the more normal response.
I'm wanting to know..
when you have kids birthday parties.. is it acceptable to only offer cake?
AND if you make people go to a fast food restaurant, is it acceptable to expect them to buy their on food...
Honestly. I say NO on both accounts.. but everyone is different. maybe its a southern hospitality thing.. bc ive seen two navy wives, both from north and actually a 3rd from the west do it, and I'm wondering, is it a location based thing? Is that the norm now? I always thought that was part of being a good host.. am I wrong?
I'm not trying to ruffle feathers, just wondering if I AM not the norm?

Friday, February 18, 2011

http://www.tshirtprinting.net/personalised-t-shirts/ sent me this absolutley adorable cheeky monkey t-shirt for review. I was not paid to blog about it. Simply sent the t-shirt and asked for my personal opinion. It is so comfortable. I am wearing it right now. They sent me the blue one. And the image is great on it! I can't wait to wear it to go workout! The fabric is light, airy and comfy! I am overall extremely pleased!

They have all sorts of products you can have whatever image you want printed onto!

You can have your sports team logo printed onto a hoodie. A picture of someone you love, perhaps.
Just give then a call at 0800 046 7633

Thursday, February 17, 2011

CLOSED!!! Winner- Purango.. waiting for this person to contact me back so I can mail off the photographs.

JLS25 is an etsy seller located in Maryland.

Her work is unique and colorful and bright.
Reminds me of cajun-y, New Orleans, which is funny, since she's from Maryland and Pennsylvania.
I think her photos are awesome and extremely intriguing.
The one I most like is the Teal Sugar Skull you can view more of her skulls HERE

and the 8x10 Purple Botanicals.

She sent me some samples of her work. And they are very vivid and capture your attention immediately.
She also sells necklaces and earrings and I personally like her painted skulls... They are made from Paper Mache! Look at this one!

Original artwork for an affordable price. We work in a variety of media and sell several different types of merchandise including custom prints, jewelry, fine art photography, comic art, sugar skulls, masks, and custom hair accessories. Merchandise can currently be purchased from the ETSY shop: JLS Photographic Images & Accessories

She sent me these photo samples for the giveaway...
a cactus in black & white...

Flowers...

Very interesting leaf...

Of the ones she sent, I MOST like and decided to ultimately keep is:

If you are interested in purchasing some of her unique work you can goHERE

For the sweepstakes.
This sweepstakes will run until noon eastern Feb 25th Friday
You'll need to be a public follower via GFC and "like" her facebook page and place a comment with your facebook name! You can go to her facebook HERE
AND like this one HERE
Thats it!~ Good Luck!~

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

***WINNER! AMBER****
RelaxZen is a innovative heath product whose company is located in New Jersey. They sent me some of their products to review! I wasn't paid to endorse them, and all opinions contained herein this post are 100% mine!

They sent me 6 day relax shots and 6 night relax shots.

I love little "drinks" that "do things" Ha! I'm not a thirsty person, so drinking a whole bottle of something just for the benefits is hard for me. I know I should consume more liquid, I just..... don't. So thats why I like the shots like this. It is not something I have to force myself to sip on all day. They shipped FAST! The little bottles are so cute, and a little bigger than what they look in pictures.

What I thought about them......
I much preferred the taste of the Night shot to the Day shot. But thats not to say the day shot tasted unpleasant. The ingredients in the Day and Night are all natural and vitamins, and some are actually very common herbs.

If anyone needs de-stressing its me! Having a husband in the military is quite challenging. Taking care of two kids when he's gone by myself is overwhelming even on the best days! Even when he's NOT out to sea, he works a LOT and I have my hands full. Having almost 5 years between the kids too can be hard. Giana is bouncing off the walls while I'm trying to keep her quiet because Devonny still sleeps all the time! So I'm welcome to whatever might be of any assistance. I don't have much time in my days to stop and relax, and even when I try sometimes it is impossible!

So I have to say that the day shot, I couldn't tell much of a difference. I did love that they are all natural. I seemed to be in a better mood. But there is ZERO calories and for someone like me who is watching their waistline. Thats awesome.
Heres a breakdown of the ingredients and nutrition info for the day shot:

Ingredients
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L-Theanine
The prominent amino acid found in green tea leaves, L-Theanine directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves which helps create a deep state of relaxation. L-Theanine has helps reduce mental and physical stress.
L-Threonine
An essential amino acid commonly used to relieve stress and anxiety. L-Threonine also boosts the immune system since it supports the production of antibodies.
Vitamin B12
A “super-nutrient”, Vitamin B12 helps support energy, emotional stability, and mental clarity. It has also been associated with lower homocysteine levels, which helps reduce the risk of heart attack.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is an anti-anxiety vitamin that supports the immune and nervous systems. It helps to fortify the body during extended periods of everyday stress, making B6 an excellent addition to a wellness plan.
GABA
Gama-amino butyric acid or GABA is one of the primary neurotransmitters of our central nervous system. GABA is essential for proper brain function and is naturally produced by the brain. GABA prevents flawed messaging from entering our brain, therefore, limits stress and anxiety while facilitating improved focus.
Passion Flower Extract
The passion flower has a calming effect but also acts as a muscle relaxant. Shortly after taking RelaxZen, you may notice a release of tension around your shoulders or lower back – this is the Passion Flower at work.
Acai Extract
Research shows that Acai works to reduce stress without drowsiness due to a high concentration of polyphenols and antioxidants.
To see RelaxDay on their website, click here!
Here is the nutritional info

On the other hand.. I was skeptical about the night shot. I'm an insomniac! Short of taking prescription medication.... Its hard for me to stop ny brain from running in circles at night. I can't relax to go to sleep! It takes me an hour (or two) after laying down before I nod off. It makes me so frustrated at Noah, because it seems like as SOON as his head touches the pillow- he's out! Not fair. And the snoring... ooo.. I wanna slap him with a pillow sometimes! Most of my girlfiends ay the EXACT same thing about their husbands. Statistically speaking women are the worriers, so it makes sense. But I'm rambling. I guess I'm so excited I actually found something that works. See, I usually cannot pass out before 1 am. I mean, check the time on these blog posts and you'll see I am a night owl! Its 11:40pm right now.

(Keep in mind I haven't taken one of the shots.. because if I had I would be yawning for sure!)

I first took the night shot at 9:40 pm and by 10 pm I could not stop yawning. That NEVER happens. I know I said it earlier but the night shot tasted SO good. I laid down and was asleep almost immediately. Slept all night AND woke up refreshed. I am very impressed with them.

Here is a breakdown of whats in the night shot:
Ingredients
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L-Theanine
The prominent amino acid found in green tea leaves, L-Theanine directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves which helps create a deep state of relaxation. L-Theanine has helps reduce mental and physical stress.
L-Threonine
An essential amino acid commonly used to relieve stress and anxiety. L-Threonine also boosts the immune system since it supports the production of antibodies.
Vitamin B12
A “super-nutrient”, Vitamin B12 helps support energy, emotional stability, and mental clarity. It has also been associated with lower homocysteine levels, which helps reduce the risk of heart attack.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is an anti-anxiety vitamin that supports the immune and nervous systems. It helps to fortify the body during extended periods of everyday stress, making B6 an excellent addition to a wellness plan.
GABA
Gama-amino butyric acid or GABA is one of the primary neurotransmitters of our central nervous system. GABA is essential for proper brain function and is naturally produced by the brain. GABA prevents flawed messaging from entering our brain, therefore, limits stress and anxiety while facilitating improved focus.
Chamomile Extract
Chamomile is known to relax smooth muscle tissue, and helps calm a nervous stomach. It has been used as a natural relaxation aid and sleep aid for centuries.
Pantothentic Acid
Also known as Vitamin B5 and an essential nutrient, the body uses Pantothentic Acid to synthesize stress hormones. It also helps regulate internal organ function.
Here is the nutritional info:

~Now for the giveaway!~
This sweepstakes will be over March 1st at noon Eastern.

One VERY lucky reader of Locomotion of Expressions will recieve 6 shots of Day and 6 shots of Night!

To enter - you know the drill. You must be a PUBLIC follower of Locomotion of Expressions via Google friend Connect (GFC) - it is on the right sidebar. Just click follow. In your comment please leave you GFC username. Thats your VERY easy mandatory entry!~

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

******CLOSED!!!!************** (Congrats to Lyudmila Sizova)
Another Etsy review- from me, to you!
The seller is from UK and sent me some cute cute stuff! She sent me two of her original postcards, some earrings and a little magnet that Giana just loves! Her items are all 100% original and handmade. They are so whimsical.
I am a girly girl, so the earrings especially tickled my fancy. I don't think you could find any like them anywhere else. They are affordable.
The artist is from the UK, and her shop is here on etsy CLICK HERE
and she has another shop on Folksy CLICK HERE
There are greeting cards, pillows, stickers, postcards..

My fave item of hers is the Cute Cuddly Kawaii Owl Plushie, because of Miss "UDONCHOW" I really like owls now. Sweet English Suzy has an item my little girl especially loves and that is this humongous ice cream cone pillow. I don't know about your babies, but mine is obsessed with pillows. She must have 10 on her bed already! :) There is also a strawberry pillow that is big as well. They are precious!
The magnet she gave me is modeled after her Cuddly Moustached Battenburg Cake plush. How did she know I have a large collection of funny magnets on my fridge. Now, to find a spot to put it... :)

She sent me the cutest little cake earrings, they even have whipped cream, cherries and even little chocolate sprinkles. To think someone handmade these tiny things just blows my mind because of the detail. I am VERY impressed! :)

From her bio
"Sweet Suzy lives in South East England in her small abode, along with her best friend, and their pet fishes Charlie and Pigum. She works away on her sewing machine to produce the magical things you see in her shop. Sweet Suzy's favourite activities include eating strawberries, drinking cups of tea, and watching Doctor Who with her family and friends. Her favourite national holiday is Guy Fawkes NIght on November 5th. But above all she gains no greater pleasure than hunting for amazing pieces of fabric to recycle, whether it be from her Grandmother's attic, or from the scrap bins of London's many fabric shops."

Now for the giveaway rules....
This sweepstakes will run from Wednesday Feb 16th to Thursday Feb 24th at noon Eastern.
To enter, you must be a public follower of this blog. If your email is not listed on your blogger page, then please enter it in your first comment.

For your mandatory entry all you have to do is visit her Etsy or Folksy shop. (Links above) and tell me what your fave item is! It can be anything!

For extra entries

You can follow my twitter (link on right sidebar) worth 1 extra entry, leave a comment saying you did so.

You can fave her Etsy shop, but not through "secret admirer" Your user name must show up on people who favorite her, please leave your Etsy display name in comments. Worth one entry.

You can follow A Little of Everything CLICK HERE worth TWO extra entries, be sure to leave two separate comments letting me know you did so, and your Google Friend Connect display name.

You can earn 4 extra entries by making a purchase (will be confirmed with the seller.) If you do so, please leave four separate comments all saying "purchase".

Sunday, February 13, 2011

http://www.naturalskinshop.com/
Is a website I was offered to review their products! I was not paid to, and all opinions contained in this blog post are 100% true and my own!

They help you find the peel that is right for you!
Getting peels at a dermatologist or professionally anywhere really is sooo costly. A professional peel can run at least 100$ for ONE. Much less if you get the recommended that you need to which is once a week for the 1st month and then once a month after that. (Thats what I was professionally recommended by my dermatologist. It can get EXPENSIVE. But you can get affordable and stunning results by going to http://www.naturalskinshop.com/. They have peels of all different strengths and help you find which one is right for you. By age or by ingredient. I used the Glycolic but they also have Salicylic Peels, Alpha Beta, Jessner Peels, TCA Peels, and Skin Lightening options.All the peels click here!

On their website they explain in layman's terms the four C's of chemical peels and how they work. Peels can be used for a variety of reasons. Anti-Acne or even aging prevention. I noticed dramatic results with mine, but it did make my skin sensitive while using, but the results were definitely worth it.

My overall skin texture was smoother, my pores less noticeable. My acne cleared up.
They come in thick glass bottles and their own little carrying care, with gauze pads, a daily exfoliator and a moisturizer. I think it will last a very long time so that definitely makes it extremely affordable and cost effective. It comes with clear instructions on do's and dont's. With any peel, depending on strength you might experience a mild tingling, but this is good because that means its working. Its helping your skin create cell turnover! They have experts that you can talk to for FREE before you order, or even after you order, should you have any concerns. Rest assured their products are all paraben free medical grade peels.

My kits cost was 80$ So that is less than you would pay for one chemical peel. If I had to guess Id say I'd get a hundred (if not more) uses from my ONE kit. Also if you spend more than 75$ you get free shipping. I experienced no problems at all with that either,
It was hassle free and quick.

I chose the 40% because it was medium strength and I have oily skin, I wanted something a little stronger.I used the Daily Exfoliator every night for a week to get my skin ready. Then I used the peel. I noticed such a difference just from the 1st few days just using the Daily Exfoliator! The moisturizer was light, not greasy and smells clean.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

CLOSED !!!! Congrats REBECCA
**************************************
Ellen - from Thailand, otherwise known as udonchow, (which I learned her Etsy shop was named after her chow named Udon..) makes gorgeous cartoony childlike owl painting that are so adorable you can't help but stop and stare. Adults love them, children love them... They are quite stunning. The very first time I went to Etsy.com she was featured on the homepage and my eyes went straight to her pictures of owls. I've never fancied myself much about owls, but now I have to admit that I do. In fact she has had so many sales, and is so widely known on the internet I didn't know if she would even accept my offer to work with me.. and was quite shocked when she did. Also pleased. I only wish owls really were that colorful in person. I would definitely want one. That first day- I spent hours looking at all of her paintings and the details. If you are considering purchasing art for a child's bedroom, you've found where to get it at!

From her bio
"I'm happily married and living in Bangkok,Thailand with my husband. Besides my family, Owls are one of my greatest loves in my life and these amazing creatures have prompted me to pick up the paintbrushes, canvases and pastels since 2003...and I find it hard to stop creating owl art :D There are times when I try to create a new collection of a different subject matter, an invisible nagging force brings me back to owls again. So it's right to say, I can't help it but to paint them....expressing them over and over again in a naive and childlike manner :D. Thank you for sharing my colorful world of owls, hope they appeal to the child in you too!

In her letter to me when I asked her about herself she said,
"My name is Ellen and I am a self-taught artist from Singapore, a small tropical island near the equator. I have since moved to Thailand to be with my husband who's also a full-time artist, we have been married for about 3 years and we have 2 furbabies, a chow chow dog named Udon (that's how my store name Udonchow came to be) and a schnauzer named Puupup. It was only 7 years ago that I started to be re-acquainted with my inner creative being and my favorite subject to paint from then till now is OWLS. I sketch and paint owls almost everyday and for some unknown reasons, I find that to be a therapeutic daily experience, a private space for me to put aside the cares and burdens of the day and get in tune with my inner thoughts. Most of my art works are like graphic journal entries of little conversations with myself, some possess a certain amount of depth whereas others are ways to lighten myself up, a reminder to not have to take myself so seriously all the time. My full time artistic journey only began 3 years ago and I sell my artworks, both original and prints on etsy. You can also find me on Zazzle where you can find my owl art on an array of products and gift items."

She let me pick which one I wanted for the review. I like Winter Love the best! When she sent it, she even drew a cute little owl on the envelope. It was packaged nicely, just as I expected. Also, to come from Thailand airmail it was shipped rather quickly.

It is so cute! It is not an original acrylic painting on canvas, unfortunately (for me!) But still cute nonetheless. It is an 8x10 archival print. Which basically means a photo of an original painting of hers. Its going to be so cute framed in Gigi's room, and will go perfect with the own bedspread i got from Target for her.
Here's what Ellen says about the painting
"Ophelia the Owl is pleased with her new kitty cap and knitted scarf, both are handmade creations from a caring friend, they certainly keep her little body warm and most of all, they filled her heart with immense love and warmth during this cold winter time:D

This is a 8 by 10 inches photo printed professionally on quality Fuji Crystal Archive photography paper with a matt finish. Signed and dated on the back of print. Watermark will not appear on the actual print. Will be packed with great care and sent in a bend-proof packaging."
And it was, it was sandwiched between thick pieces of plastic and arrived in perfect condition.
For it to be an archival print the quality is amazing. You can see every little detail that is on the original. I was impressed. Two-thumbs up Ellen! Thanks!
PS. I almost got Wild Thoughts with the cute giraffe, but I liked Winter Love because of the owls cute kitty toboggan.

She has a zazzle store where you can get her work printed on anything from shoes and shirts to mugs and all kinds of other neat ways. I almost wish I had asked for a coffee mug! Or maybe a bag with it printed on it! *sad face!* on zazzle you can buy any of her art on any of these things..
Coasters, Ornaments, iPad/iPhone Cases, Necklaces, T-Shirts, Postage, Invitations, Business Cards, Mugs, Aprons, Bags, Binders, Bumper Stickers, Buttons, Calendars, Cards, Embroidered Bags, Embroidered Hats, Embroidered Shirts, Envelopes, Flyers, Hats, Keychains, Labels, Letterhead, Magnets, Mousepads, Pet Clothing, Photo Cards, Photo Sculptures, Postcards, Posters, Rack Cards, Shoes, Skateboards, Stationery,Stickers, Ties.

She has offered readers of Locomtion of Expressions an exclusive coupon code you can save 15% by using the code OWLLOVE.

For this sweepstakes she will be giving away to you an archival 8x10 print. You get to pick.
Cool huh?

HOW TO ENTER
SO head on over to her Etsy shop and tell me in a comment below what print most calls to you and then tell me which 8x10 print you'd want if you won.
You must be a public follower of Locomotion of Expressions to win. Also, please be sure your email address is listed on your profile blogger or that you leave it in a comment below in this form: yourname @ domain dot com.
For extra entries you can follow me on twitter @1caseycolette (its also on the right sidebar) for one entry leave a comment letting me know you did so (your username on twitter)

For another you can tweet about this sweepstakes by cutting and pasting this into your status:
@1caseycolette enter to #win a cute owl painting from #etsy on http:1caseycolette.blogspot.com #giveaway #sweeps

Again, leave a comment letting me know where I can find this tweet (your username on twitter)

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Etsy is just the coolest place. Its like Ebay- only..... better.
No bidding, they have set prices, unique items.
While browsing I found a store that called to me.
The creators name is Tiffany Miller.
She makes these stationary cards, fabric art, collages and things of that nature.
It is called stuckonacloud.

She has been featured on other blogs as well including
feature on
http://www.thesaturdaymorningsblog.com/
http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
I wrote to her, and she agreed to do a review/sweepstakes!
My fave item she has is the cupcake fabric collage.. I'm just girly like that.
She is offering Locomotion of Expression readers a 10% off coupon during this sweeps!
Just enter coupon code LOEGIVEAWAYONE

One of Tiffany's letters to me said, "Hi Casey,

I just sent out your card set, I hope you enjoy them when they come in.They will be the same ones that I would like to do for the giveaway.They can chose the letter and color they want.

Well about me, I am a mother of 3 boys and a wife to an active duty Coast Guard man.I have always had a love for paper and fabrics, to tell the truth I think it's more the colors and patterns.I go a bit crazy in any hobby shop. When I was a kid I could care less about the toy aisle, I went right to thepaper and art aisles. I scrapbook and photography is my first and most love, also I like to paint and play with fabrics.I always have ideas in my head, sometimes it's a bit crazy. I have to control my thoughts, or I will have like 10 things goingon at once.

I opened my shop less than a month ago, with a big push from my husband to do so. I like to use old cardboard pieces that stores mightthrow out, to draw on and use as my templets. I use old book pages for my collages and sometimes my cards. I believe that creativity should bea open and free mind to think of your own ideas. Sometimes people look at art as one way, and not open their minds to whats around them.Thanks,Tiffany"

AW!~

She sent me these adorable stationary note cards with matching envelopes with the purplish initial C on them. The card has a collage of torn pages from books glued in a neatly arranged fashion with a C thats has a hand drawn "sewn" effect!
The initial cards are made with book pages, cardstock, and an ink set.
These 4x5.5 cards are blank and come with matching initial envelopes.

Right now the initial card sets have FREE shipping!!
These cards are sure to catch fancy of everyone you send them to, and they will be asking, "Where did you get those?".
In fact, my neighbor came over earlier and saw them on the table and asked that very question.
You can also request a custom item, if you have one in mind.

For the prize of the promotion, she will be making you a set of these cards! You pick the color and the initial.

MANDATORY ENTRY!

Comment on this blog with your favorite item from her Etsy store.(Must be a public follower via Google Friend Connect (right sidebar!) )

EXTRA ENTRIES (Each worth one entry and each entry MUST have its own separate comment)
"Like" StuckOnACloud on Facebook - Click it!http://www.facebook.com/pages/StuckonaCloud/177960532239266?v=app_169505045786
If you have an Etsy account leave your username. (Or make one, either way!)
Also if you have an Etsy account visit her shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop/StuckOnACloud?ref=pr_shop_more(click it) and fave it and an item she sells that you most like from your Mandatory Entry. Then, leave a comment on this blog post telling me you did so/which one.
Follow my twitter @1caseycolette and direct message me on twitter and leave in the comment below your twitter username.

EXTRA EXTRA ENTRIES
Earn 2 extra entries for entering the Millie's Place sweepstakes on this blog.. please leave two separate comments saying "truffles" you can find the sweepstakes on this blog by looking on the right sidebar in my archives.
ALSO
Worth 5 entries and you must place 5 separate comments all saying "purchase". This will be verified by the seller. If it cannot be verified all your entries will be VOID. You may use a 10% off coupon code LOEGIVEAWAYONE.

The winner will get to chose their own initial (or if a gift I suppose- someone else's initial.) They will also get to pick their own color.
This sweepstakes will run from 2/5/11 to 2/13/11 noon (eastern).
~ Good Luck to all who enter, and thank you for reading my blog.
CaseyColette

OK, so all of you that read my blog regularly know that I have partnered with Shutteffly, and they sent me 25 free cards for me and a code for 25 free cards for you! :)

Now I get to give you some cards too!
Before we get to that, let me tell you my review of Shutterfly, since I can't tell you how awesome the cards probably are...

Whats sad is the hard time I had with Shutterfly over these cards.
Honestly.... it was my mistake. But their customer service lacks much to be desired. Lets just say this. Check your shipping address. And then.. re-check it.

Shutterfly was on a blog review site asking for reviewers to help them promote their Valentine's cards, so I took the deal! I made a really cute card of Giana, Devonny, & I, with all of our names in it.. then... after I placed the order noticed.. OOOPPS! They were sending it to my old address in Connecticut.

Yes, I am totally at fault.
However when I called UPS (That- in itself, was oh so frustrating. Don't ask. To sum it up, DEATH HOLD, dropped call, Death Hold again, transfer, wait, wrong area, transfer wait....) It took about an hour for UPS just to tell me that they can't change the address on it anyway. The last lady at UPS I talked to (and I talked to FIVE) said, "Hey, Why not just call Shutterfly? Since your doing a time sensitive promotion for them, they'll probably just ship it again to you."

Light-bulb!

Great idea! So I call them. EHH, not so much. They say I can either wait for them to be re-directed to Shutterfly, and make a note of my address, and hopefully they will eventually make it to me. Or, basically what the lady was telling me was, I would have to pay another almost 7 dollars to have them re-shipped. The problem with waiting- is this is a Valentine's Day promotion. By the time they go from Atlanta (the starting point) to Connecticut, back to Atlanta, then.... FINALLY to me, It will probably be almost March. And thats if, and thats a BIG if too, it even gets re-directed. I used to live there, and know for a fact, thats Navy Housing. Most of the mailmen, see so many people come and go they dont know who lives where! I got other peoples mail, ALL the time! If the person that lives there opens it... it going to go in the trash. Its photos of someone's children with their names on it!

The cards cost was around 30. Now, I suppose in everyday life, just paying the shipping again... that would be a pretty good deal. But considering when a blogger reviews a product they NEVER have to pay to have it shipped to them. I wasn't going to pay again. So I nicely asked to be transferred to her supervisor, since its not within the rules shes bound to by Shutterfly to be able to help me. Maybe someone else could. So then, this guy Ryan comes to the phone. He is absolutely no help, extremely rude, tells me, " Why don't I just blog about it if I don't like it?" Well, you know what Ryan? I will!

Like I said, if that was to happen to a customer, and they were at fault, they would probably be grateful they only had to deal with re-shipping fees. But again, the customer service aspect? Well if I had to grade them.. I'd give them a big FAT F
Now that I've got that off my chest, I am still doing their giveaway. For those who are not so turned off they do not want to deal with Shutterfly.

ENTRY RULES
All you have to do, is follow my twitter and leave a comment on this post with your Twitter username. And your entered. (You can click above where it says, "Follow my twitter" OR you can click the button with Twitter's blue bird bursting out of an egg on the right sidebar)

OPTIONAL EXTRA ENTRIES
You can get one extra entry for each of my sweepstakes you tweet
cut and paste one, or all, of these red words into your twitter, then leave a comment below telling me you did.

Enter to win a half lb of Truffle's on Locomotion of Expressions @1caseycolette http://tinyurl.com/6bn4cwg #sweeps #giveaway

This promotion will be a quick one, so you can get your order in and hopefully have your cards delivered by Valentine's Day. Shutterfly's shipping takes an average of 4-6 days, depending on where your located. So I would recommended placing the order on the 9th. Therefore, the sweeps needs to be done by the 8th. It will be over at noon Feb 8th, so there probably won't be many entries. Good Luck~

Friday, February 4, 2011

The first 10 people to comment on this post will receive a free thank you surprise for following and paying attention to my blog! Just comment below and make sure you leave your email addy in THIS form: example: example at yahoo dot com ....so the search engine spam bots don't spam you!
Thanks!
Good night!
:)

Millies Place is a fabulous Etsy shop that sells truffles, cookies, cupcakes, fudge, whoopie pies.
(She also has gluten & wheat free products and some low fat options.)
214 Etsy users call Millies Place a favorite!
She has 100% positive feedback and is located in Middleton, New Hampshire.
She uses only quality ingredients such as butter not margarine & real vanilla.
PLUS - she has even got low fat chocolate chip cookies!
Most of her stuff is under 10$ so its very affordable.

My initial thoughts;
Packaging was awesome! All the ingredients were labeled as to what was inside of each truffle.

Tastes JUST like choc chip cookie dough. The walnuts were very crisp and gave it the crunchy feel that I like to candy. I go nuts for candy with nuts!

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cake Bite truffles

BUTTERSCOTCH- need I say more? The truffles center was extremely soft and very light notes of gingerbread.. reminded me of carrot cake.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough truffles

Light taste of peanut butter, crunchy yummy goodness.

Mocha Pudding Cake truffles

The inside tastes like a moist chocolate cake and the coating is semi-sweet ( I could really taste strong mocha )... its rather good!
Gigi (my 5 year old) says, "It tastes like fudge and its really yummy!"

Boston Creme Pie truffles

I think I just found my fave! It tastes exactly like boston creme pie!
Gigi says - "I can taste the vanilla. I like that its kinda salty sweet."

Ginger Whoopie Pie

This thing- I took a bite and the ginger was strong, so I gave it to my little girl and foolishly thought she would not like it.. WRONG! She loved it. It tasted to me like a gingerbread cookie, only VERY VERY moist and soft. It had a creamy sweet filling in the middle.

Lemon Pudding Cake truffles

Reminded me of a lemon meringue pie - I like the tartness of the lemon. It reminds me of those lemon creme pies you get at mom and pop diners.... its VERY delicious.
Gigi says, "tastes like a sweet lemon!"

Coconut Cookie Dough truffles

The coconut is heavy and that's good. I love coconut- its very chewy and I don't taste much of a cake flavor per-say, but thats really no matter becasue i enjoyed it thouroughly.
Gigi says, "Reminds me of an island-y coconut drink."

Pros:
Bite size so you can treat yourself without over indulging- satisfies sweet cravings.

Cons:
No caloric content, which is important to me because I am dieting.
My only real complaint? I wish shed would've sent some fudge! (Peanut butter fudge with walnuts!!!! ) or some homemade chocolate cookie sandwiches w peanut butter filling. I might just have to buy some! :)

If you do purchase, be sure to tell her Locomotions of Expressions sent you!

Mrs Reynold's was nice enough to offer the winner a choice of a 1/2 lb of truffles
you get to pick what varities you want and you will be able to choose between:

Coconut
Cookie Dough
Peanut Butter
Boston Creme Pie
& Lemon Pie

Mandatory entry:

Contest is over noon eastern on Saturday the 12th of Feburary!Head over to Millies Place (CLICK HERE!) on Etsy and tell me which two of the flavors/varieties of yummy stuff she creates you would want to try. Could be truffles, cookies, fudge or cupcakes... but NOT one I listed above.
and be a public follower of this blog. You can follow by clicking the Google Friend Connect box on the right sidebar! Please be sure if your email is not listed on your blogger profile then its left in the comment.
No extra entries, no jumping through hoops. That's it!~Good Luck~

Thursday, February 3, 2011

RepairPal is a really neat website that is an all in one for car repair! You can get estimates, user ratings and reviews, and valuable advice.
Best of all its FREE!
You can find a shop, get an estimate, hear from experts AND track your service!

RepairPal is unbiased and helps you from getting ripped off by telling you what it SHOULD cost. Their experts compiled prices and labor time to keep you best informed before you go to the auto shop!
You are able to compare estimates and know what to expect and what to look out for.

Finally, they send a printable version of your RepairPrice Estimate to your email!
You can find shops in ANY city, they have compiled them all...
You can also give feedback of YOUR experiences and dealings, so others may benefit or not get ripped off.

You can store info about your own car. No more digging through junk drawers and file folders looking in frustration for that one piece of paper you are never going to find.
You can also, if you so choose to- subscribe for recalls and/or technical service bulletins.
They do not charge you for any of this!
They have all cars, makes, models and years....
You can ask expert mechanics questions, and they have a helpful section of car care hints.
They also have a special section for tires
They even have an "Encyclopedia" To help you better understand what is going on with your car. As well as they have a repair blog! So neat! Check it out!

We know it, you know it: women love celebrity dirt. This Valentine’s Day, a new mobile campaign from Clorox® Regular-Bleach helps women clean up their own dirt while they enjoy their Hollywood news.

Clorox is sharing quick clean-up tips on how to keep fashionable winter whites white, keep flowers fresh longer and host a Hollywood-style party. And with Valentine's Day just around the corner, a girl can use some help. Tips like…

* Nothing says “I love you” like roses. Want to enjoy those flowers longer than a celebrity romance? Just add ¼ teaspoon of Clorox® Regular-Bleach to each quart of cold water you put in the vase.

* Got a stain from a heart-shaped chocolate on your favorite whites? It’ll come out in a snap once you add ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach to the hot water and detergent in your washing machine.
To get more tips from Clorox® Regular-Bleach and extend the Valentine’s Day romance, readers can enter the Get the Dirt, but Keep it Clean sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for 2 Hollywood, CA! To enter and view official rules, visit www.Clorox.com/GetTheDirt.

Blog Disclosure
In accordance with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for testimonials in blogs, if you decide to reference The Clorox Company (“Company”) or its products or services in a blog post or review, we ask that you disclose you received the information and/or product from the Company. Samples, product, services, or other information given to you by us or the Company are never intended to solicit false or unsubstantiated product claims and we ask that all product reviews be conducted by those ages 18 and older. Examples of disclosure statements:
I received information from The Clorox Company at no cost to me.
The Clorox Company sent me information about the Get the Dirt, but Keep it Clean program not intended to solicit product claims.
For information on the FTC guidelines, please visit: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Shutterfly has this super neat thing where you can earn a FREE 25$ credit. Heres how it works. You make a project, (such as mine above..) and then after you place your order it asks you if you want to "share" it. Say yes! If you share it to your blog and email them a link to the post. They will confirm it and email you a coupon code good for 25$! Pretty sweet, huh? Just thought I'd pass it along!
Happy blogging!
~xo~
casey

Just wanted to take a moment of my OH - SO - busy day to tell you that I got accepted for the Pull-Ups house party!~ If you want to view my party page, just click the post title of this blog to be taken to it! :) I'll let you know when it arrives, and take some pictures of it. And again, when I have the party! :) Thanks for reading!
~xo~
http://www.houseparty.com/party/448384

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The birds are chirping, spring is up around the corner, love is in the air..
Can you feel it? I can! I'm excited! Valentine's Day is one of my FAVORITE holidays! Not to go all sappy on ya.... But who doesn't want to spend Valentine's day with a nice card, a romantic dinner, maybe some wine, chocolates, flowers? A scrooge thats who! Valentines day is awesome, I dare you to disagree! :)

Just look at Tinkerbell in her pink shirt! She's stoked too!

This Valentine's my husband will not be with me, because he is serving his duty to our country. So I'm a little bummed about that, but I will definitely be spending time with our two little girls. And letting them know JUST how much I love and appreciate them.

Its different now because I have kids, but still.... the look on your childs face when you give them a little card that says how special they are to you... Its priceless. And cards? They are so cheap. Something so simple, such a sweet gesture. * Hugs and love * Everyone "twitterpated" (you know... from Bambi? Where the animals all fall in love?) It is just SO sweet! I for one am super excited! Valentine's day serves as a wonderful reminder of what we have in our life. Reach out and give someone a hug. Whether it be a neighbor, a friend, a child, or your partner. Don't take for granted what you have today....

I'm thrilled to tell you that I am partnering with Shutterfly to offer one Locomotion of Expressions reader a TOTALLY FREE set of 25 Valentine's Day cards! Cool, right? No, you dont have to be in school to hand out cards, and you'd be surprised at how many people you know you could give them to.. neighbors, co-workers.. friends, family. Honestly, its great to show people that your thinking of them.

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Disclaimer

Reviewers on Locomotion of Expressions are sent a complimentary item in exchange for their honest opinions and receiving a free product does not influence their review posts. All opinions and thoughts are their own, and different people may have different outcomes. We are not responsible for those who purchase these items and experience different results. Occasionally, the company provides a product to give away as well as monetary compensation. Even on the rare occasion on which a post is sponsored, it still has the reviewers honest opinion contained herein.